Talk:Symphony No. 6 (Sibelius)

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I couldn't believe that such a magnificent symphony lacked an English Wikipedia article! I've created a stub: please improve :) Grover cleveland 01:12, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dorian mode

I agree about the work (and its dedicatee, Stenhammar, also made expressive use of archaic chord progressions, in works like his 4th string quartet from the first decade of the 20th century and dedicated to Sibelius.)

I'm not sure about the Dorian mode though... Bach's 'Dorian' prelude isn't in the Dorian mode either; it merely lacks a key signature. Still, tendency to use many B-naturals, C-naturals is a better argument (and chord progressions more natural to the Dorian mode than the minor mode). Schissel | Sound the Note! 00:23, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

You are right that Bach's "Dorian" toccata and fugue for organ, is not really in the Dorian mode (it doesn't have a key-signature but just uses B-flat accidentals everywhere). However the 1st 3rd and 4th movements of Sibelius 6 not only have no signature but consistently use B-naturals (I own the score but it is pretty obvious to the naked ear also). They are as Dorian as any music ever written. Grover cleveland 11:41, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

I must apologize: my previous comment slightly overstated the case, since the very end of the finale does have a B-flat signature (and mostly doesn't cancel it out with naturals). I've amended the text of the main article to say that "Much of the symphony is in fact in the (modern) Dorian mode.". For interest, here's a list of the key signatures in the work:

• First movement: almost entirely no key signature. The only exception is a nine-bar passage at letter I that has a B-flat key signature (this is the climactic F-major passage with the "whooping" clarinets, if that makes any sense to anyone). The beginning and ending of this movement are clearly Dorian (final D with no accidentals in sight).
• Second movement: key signature is two flats, except for a nineteen-bar passage between letters G and H that has one sharp. The movements begins in an ambiguous tonality and ends in the Dorian mode transposed to G (E-flats in the key signature are cancelled out by naturals).
• Third movement: no key signature, except for a fairly substantial passage between letters B and E that has one flat. Begins and ends clearly in the Dorian mode.
• Fourth movement: mostly has no key signature, but the final fifth or so (from letter K onwards) has one flat. Begins in a somewhat ambiguous tonality (Dorian mode and C major are most prominent). Ends in D minor, although this is not clear until the very final slow section (Doppio piu lento). Grover cleveland 12:45, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

My ear has always said "Dorian" about this piece. It's always been one of my favorites of the seven; understated and delicious. Glad to see it has an article now--I had put it on my to-do list a couple years ago when it was a redlink. Nice work. Antandrus (talk) 02:36, 14 May 2007 (UTC)